Ford delivers first fuel-cell cars in Canada to Vancouver fuel cell vehicle program

Five fuel-cell cars powered by hydrogen instead of gasoline were delivered on March 31st by Dr. Gerhard Schmidt, Vice-President, Research and Advanced Engineering, Ford Motor Company, and Joe Hinrichs, President and CEO of Ford of Canada, to the Vancouver Fuel Cell Vehicle Program (VFCVP). Ford of Canada handed five sets of keys to the Government of Canada, launching this first-of-its-kind demonstration program, which encompasses three years of a five-year initiative.

“Using hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies is a key part of bringing down greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change. I’m proud that the Government of Canada is part of projects such as this and that we’ve supported these innovative technologies for nearly two decades,” said the Honourable R. John Efford, Minister of Natural Resources Canada. The partners in this program — the Government of Canada, Ford Motor Company/Ford of Canada, Fuel Cells Canada and the Government of British Columbia — will collaborate on this five-year, $9-million program.

BC Hydro, B.C. Transit, Ballard Power Systems, the City of Vancouver, Fuel Cells Canada, the National Research Council (NRC), Natural Resources Canada and the Government of British Columbia will use the Ford Focus Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs) in real daily driving conditions as part of a three-year hydrogen fuel technology demonstration program. This is one of a number of hydrogen-related programs targeted for implementation before the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler.

“This groundbreaking project brings us one step closer to making fuel-cell technology viable as a global energy and transportation alternative,” said Dr. Schmidt. “While there’s still much work and collaboration needed to realize a broad-based hydrogen economy, Ford is pleased to be an enabling partner in this pioneering initiative. Demonstration vehicles like these help to expand our future energy and transportation horizons, and support Ford Motor Company’s mission to help create a better world.”

The Ford Focus FCV is a third-generation hybrid-electric vehicle that uses the Canadian-made Ballard Mark 902 series fuel-cell engine and Dynetek 5,000-psi (pounds per square inch) compressed-hydrogen storage tanks. The performance of each car will be carefully monitored over the next three years, providing critical data for the continued development of fuel-cell technology.